


Take It As It Comes

by revior



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Anti-Witcher Sentiments, But shush neither of them knows it yet, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotions, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Getting to Know Each Other, Hurt/Comfort, Immortal Jaskier | Dandelion, M/M, Misunderstandings, Monsters, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slash, Slow Build, The Two Kill Monsters & Creatures Together, Uneasy Allies, Witcher Contracts, Witchers Have Feelings (The Witcher)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:41:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27105913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/revior/pseuds/revior
Summary: Geralt dropped out of college to chase a beast all over the world before finally killing it and coming back.Jaskier sees Geralt as a homeless man and wants to help him out by giving him a place to stay.Somehow the two, even though the only thing they seem to do is fight, work together very well.OR an unlikely-allies-in-a-modern-setting!AU with student!Jaskier and Geralt well... he's Geralt but the modern version
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 35
Collections: The Witcher Alternate Universes





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this idea got stuck in my head for a while now and I finally decided to write it. More chapters will be coming soon!
> 
> ALSO, NOTE THAT THIS IS SET IN OUR WORLD NOT THE WITCHER WORLD BUT INCLUDES LOTS OF ELEMENTS FROM THE WITCHER WORLD

Geralt of Rivia hated airplanes more than anything in the world.

The man wasn't the type of person to fear anything but being in a giant metal wagon flying around in the sky - not to forget that he had no control over the damn thing - wasn't the most pleasing thought he ever had.

If he knew a way to go back in time and slaughter the people who invented airplanes, he would do it without anyone having to pay him.

And as if the flying part wasn't enough, he would always get stuck in a giant crowd in the airport later, all the people around him radiating strange smells and incredibly loud voices didn't make it any easier for him.

But although all of that disturbed him, he was aware that it was the fastest way of getting around the world without using portal magic to which he didn't have access at that moment.

The wendigo was harder to track down than usual creatures. It seemed as if as the world changed, the creatures adapted to it and learned how to survive in these different environments full of new threats.

It took what seemed like years for Geralt to finally get off the airport and away from the masses of people that looked at him as if he was one of the monsters he was hunting. He rented a motorcycle, a replacement for Roach while she was getting fixed up; he crashed her just before leaving for Canada to hunt down the wendigo.

The Witcher had no idea why he came back to where he used to study. It was a place he once called home but it had been a while since he thought of it like that. There was nothing about that place that even remotely still attracted him after he dropped out of college.

The decision to do so was made in the spur of the moment and the dean tried to talk him out of it for some reason, but Geralt refused. He knew that the academic life wasn't made for him, no matter how hard others tried to convince him that it was.

Geralt of Rivia had no place to sleep and besides the few bars he could go to, he had no place to go. There was also the subject of lack of money which disturbed him, but he knew that he could find a way for the problem to go away. Probably not legal, but to each their own.

After endlessly driving around for about an hour, checking in on his old neighbor and her cat, then finding refuge in a bar, exactly what he told himself he wouldn't do just moments later.

His order was obvious, vodka. The barman didn't seem surprised at all and quickly served the man with the white hair. He did make him pay in advance, though, something Geralt didn't appreciate at all but had no say in so he didn't even dare object.

Geralt sat there in silence, listening to other people's conversations and the quiet music playing in front of him for hours. The barman tried to strike a conversation with him sometime in the middle but then saw that the Witcher wasn't interested at all and let it go.

The man finally realized what time it was when the barman walked up to him and told him the bar was closing. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I'm closing it," he said with a soft and cautious voice, making sure not to upset the Witcher in fear of losing a limb. "I also doubt that any other places are open at this hour, but there might be one or two."

Geralt nodded, thankful that the man was nicer to him than people usually were, even if he secretly knew what the reason for that was. "Goodnight," he said, then walked out of the bar.

"Wait up," exclaimed a voice behind him.

The Witcher turned around and saw a boy, almost a man actually, who was hurrying towards him. "What do you want from me?"

"I was just about to offer you a place to stay, since you need it, judging by the looks of you."

That was the first time Geralt actually looked at himself in the window of the bar, seeing his reflection half-clearly. "I assure you, I'm not homeless."

"So you have a place to stay?" asked the boy, a smirk on his face.

"Well, not exactly, but I don't think I want to sleep at a stranger's place, do I?"

"I mean, that's true, but I doubt that you won't be able to crush me with your pinky finger if I want to do anything to you. You don't exactly look weak." The other man's words resonnated through the alley as Geralt of Rivia thought of a good response to that.

He was obviously right, Geralt could crush him immediately. But then again, why would that stranger just offer him a place to stay without an ulterior motive. "I don't like to trust people. And you shouldn't trust me, either."

"What are you going to do? Murder me?"

Geralt wanted to laugh at the fact that the possibility of that was a lot higher than the boy thought. He probably wasn't aware that the elder one was a creature different from a human yet and would probably not be happy if he found out. Or at least that's what Geralt thought.

"No, I won't murder you, but that's because there is no way I'm coming with you."

Geralt was very sure of his words, but the younger one didn't seem as sure. "I'm Jaskier."

"Nice to meet you Jaskier," was all the Witcher could muster up, unsure of why Jaskier was telling him his name.

The boy chuckled for a short second. "This is the part where you tell me your name."

"Oh," muttered Geralt. "It's Geralt. Of Rivia."

"Nice to meet you too, Geralt of Rivia." Jaskier held his hand out and waited but then put it back to his side once he realized that Geralt had no intentions of shaking it. "So, where do you intend on sleeping tonight? Since you're too mighty to sleep in a kind person's home."

"I don't know, but I'll find something."

"Well, if you ever change your mind, just tell me in the next few seconds because I'm leaving," said Jaskier and with that, he turned around and started walking away.

The witcher promised himself that he wouldn't go after him, but finally he decided that it was better to have a nice comfy bed than to have a cop screaming at his ear at six in the morning because he slept under the bridge in a public area.

"Wait," he shouted. "If you're still offering, then my answer is yes."

Jaskier turned around, a big smile on his face. "All you have to is say please, Geralt of Rivia."

"Don't push it," grumbled the latter and started walking with the other one. He just hoped that the other one wouldn't annoy him to the point where he wouldn't be able to sleep at all and he would have to go to someone's apartment for no reason at all.

"I have a motorcycle if you want to take it," proposed the Witcher.

Jaskier shook his head. "No thanks, I prefer keeping all my limbs, don't you?"

The older one decided to not answer anything to that provocative question that was more of a statement as their conversation couldn't end well and the Witcher still needed a place to stay.

The bag that was hanging over Geralt's shoulder was making quite a certain amount of noise and Jaskier was beginning to get worried. "Why is that thing so loud? And why does it look so damn heavy?"

"Oh, I just have my weapons and clothes in here."

"Very funny," mumbled the younger one. He waited a bit to see if Geralt would answer anything, but the silence made him realize something. "You're serious..."

"Yes, I'm serious. Why would I be joking?"

Jaskier stopped and just looked at his new acquaintance for a while in complete silence. Geralt felt very uneasy under that stare but he didn't dare say anything. "You're a Witcher."

"I thought you knew. It isn't very hard to tell, is it?"

"I thought you were just a person who liked to dress as one and dye their hair the color, not be an actual witcher. I thought most of them were dead anyways."

"Most of them are dead," said Geralt of Rivia, a darker tone to his voice. "But I guess I'm still here, alive and well if you don't count the stars. But can I still take you up on that offer to sleep? I feel like I could use it after everything that happened in the last few days."


	2. Chapter 2

Geralt of Rivia found it quite difficult to sleep in a stranger's home, impossible even. But even if he didn't catch a minute of sleep, he at least let his body rest while his mind was doing all the work. Jaskier's breathing was an entertaining sound to listen to throughout most of the night and soon the Witcher found his own breathing matching the boy's.

When dawn finally started appearing and rays of sunshine perturbing Geralt, he climbed off the spare mattress that the other boy had for some reason and let himself onto the balcony. It was a cool morning, unusual but not rare for September in Warsaw, the wind ruffling his hair.

He smiled at the bird that landed next to him, for some reason wishing for a cigarette at that moment. Unfortunately, his craving couldn't be answered since he couldn't bring them on the airplane and he didn't think to buy some before going to the bar.

Witchers didn't need to sleep but could choose to do so if they wanted, and to Geralt, it was just another way of meditation. He would almost shut down his thoughts and let his muscles rest. But as a very untrusting person, the man found it difficult to sleep when there were other people around.

"Couldn't sleep, huh?" asked Jaskier, sliding open the glass door. "Too afraid I would kidnap you?"

"Yes," answered Geralt. "I just couldn't sleep."

"I get you. I don't understand people who can just sleep whenever and wherever."

"It seemed as if you found it quite easy to sleep tonight," pointed out the Witcher, a small smirk on his face.

"If you would've let me finish, I could," cut Jaskier. "As I was saying, I don't understand people who can just sleep whenever and wherever. Personally, the only place I can do it is my own home or the place where I used to live. I still go there from time to time whenever I visit my parents."

"I can only sleep when I'm alone or when I'm with someone that I trust completely," replied the older man, running a hand through his hair.

Jaskier didn't answer to that and instead just looked out to see the trees that were growing right outside his apartment complex, matching the exact spot that Geralt was looking at too.

 _They couldn't be much older than Jaskier_ , thought Geralt to himself. _I'm guessing he's about twenty or something like that, but those trees are still tiny and fragile so they're probably younger. I just hope they can survive another winter._

"You're wondering how they survive the winter, aren't you?" asked Jaskier, perfectly reading Geralt's mind.

The Witcher nodded but didn't say anything. He didn't even look at the student, he just continued staring at the trees.

Jaskier tapped the metal bar that served as a protection on the balcony and looked at Geralt. "There are all kinds of living beings on this Earth that might look fragile, but there's something about them that makes them stronger than most others. I think that's the case of the trees out there, just as it is the case for me."

"Thank you for sharing that with me."

"Well, I just know that when you look at me, you don't see someone that could be useful in any way, but I want you to know that it's not the reality. I'm quite useful and pretty much everyone who knows me well enough is aware of it. You, on the other hand, might not be aware of it yet so I just thought that I'd let you know."

Geralt wondered why the man would tell him that. He didn't need to know that the boy would be useful for certain things, and he couldn't be more confused as to why the boy felt the need to tell him that. "Why would you tell me that?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Why tell me that you're useful for certain things? And why assume that I think you useless?" 

"Well, it's just that I was thinking of something yesterday and I came to the conclusion that I would very much like to take a gap year. I have all my life before me to finish university and then the eternity after that to work a normal job."

"It's good that you're taking time for yourself," noted Geralt, happy that he could at least give the boy some nice words. "So, what do you want to do?"

"So, as I was thinking of what to do, I realized that there was no better thing for me to do than follow you on your journey and learn more about the supernatural world while finding inspiration to write something. I mean, what's a writer and a poet without inspiration?"

Geralt of Rivia didn't answer to that. He was completely convinced that the person who invited him as a guest was either joking or completely out of his mind and he didn't know which possibility scared him more.

"Are you going to answer? Because if you aren't, I'll have to assume that I can pack my bags right now and come with you." 

The Witcher turned towards the writer and put his large hand on the boy's shoulder, feeling as the boy almost crumbled under the weight of it. "I'm sorry to break it to you, but I stay by myself. And I would never bring a human with me even if I had to bring someone."

"Oh come on," complained Jasier. "I know how it sounds, but I promise that I can be useful. I'll get you fuel, I can pay for where we're staying, I can do research about the creatures that you're paid to, you know, kill. And I promise I won't bother you when you need some alone time while we're traveling. I can even just stay in place while you go hunt down some mythological creature, I just need to come with you."

"That's a great idea."

"Really?" asked jaskier, his eyes wide open.

"The staying in place, I mean," quickly added Geralt. "And if you're wondering what place you should be staying at, it's right here. _At home_."

"Come on! Before you told me that it's great that I'm focusing on what I want to do and now you changed your mind completely. I promise that I won't bother you on your missions or whatever you want to call them. And even more than that, I swear to any God you believe in that I'll be useful to you. I'll do anything you want."

"I don't believe in gods, let's start there. And I'll think about it. We can meet up someplace after I'm done thinking and I'll tell you what I decided." Geralt surprised even himself by those words, but he knew that he truly meant them. Plus, there was something special about the boy, he couldn't just pretend there wasn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> comments and kudos are incredibly appreciated!!!


	3. Chapter 3

Geralt of Rivia hated people, but he also hated being alone. It seemed as if there was no middle ground that he could find that would satisfy him, no person that could travel with him and not annoy him to the point where he would seriously consider killing them.

He also sometimes needed help when it came to certain creatures that he was hunting down, especially the ones that he had no previous experience with. He wasn't the academic sort and couldn't spend hours and hours - or sometimes even days or weeks - browsing through endless piles of books trying to find what would make him find the creature and give him a method to capture it or find a way to kill it.

There was something special about the boy, he had to admit it. There was no point denying that he was at least mildly intrigued by him, to say the least. But still, when it came to his job, he couldn't take any chances. Witchers were usually solitary creatures and Geralt had a feeling that Jaskier to drive him to the edge of insanity in just about a day.

The White Wolf valued people sometimes, especially when it came to prostitutes that would only stay with him for a night and not nag about every single thing. They knew what their job was and how to do it, just as Geralt knew how to do his.

He wasn't exactly serious when he told the boy that he would let him know what he decided. Geralt already knew what he would tell the boy in advance. "I'm just not looking for anyone to travel with me," he would say. Or something of the sort. He just had to make sure that Jaskier would understand and wouldn't make a great deal of the denial.

* * *

And so Geralt found himself sitting in a coffee shop in the center of Warsaw on a Tuesday morning. The barista came to him multiple times asking him if he wanted to order, reeking of lust and fear. "Sorry, I'm still waiting for a friend," he answered which would make her back off for a few minutes or so.

Jaskier finally stumbled into the place he requested to meet at about twenty minutes late. "I'm so so sorry," he apologized. "I totally forgot about the time."

"How do you expect to travel the world with me and kill strange creatures when you can't even show up on time?" Geralt asked sharply. In truth, he didn't really care whether the boy would show up at all - that would make the entire thing a lot easier - but he wanted to fluster the boy.

Jaskier"s face flushed and he opened his mouth to say something, but no words would come out, forcing him to close it. A few seconds later, he tried again. "Well, in my defense, I was finding out more about your travels so I could seem intelligent right now. Not that I'm not, I just wanted to impress you as much as possible."

"I don't care how much you know."

"Well, that's straight forward. I just thought that you were the type of person to really always study me and try to see whether I was listening or not and then judge me because I lacked knowledge. So you're telling me that I stayed awake all night long just to have you tell me that you didn't care how much I knew?"

"Just sit down and tell me what you learned," ordered Geralt. The boy did as instructed and for the next twenty minutes or so didn't stop, even when the horny barista came to get their orders.

Geralt didn't know what to answer, so he stayed quiet for a bit. "I guess you do know a lot about these things, but that doesn't mean that you would be very useful when it came to traveling with me."

"I can learn pretty much everything you want me to. I promise that I'll be useful if you just let me come with you."

Everything Geralt knew at that moment seemed to disappear.

The boy sure knew how to prepare for things and seemed to not care that the fact that he was severely lacking sleep was very visible. Plus, there was always the fact that Geralt felt incredibly lonely from time to time during his travels. "Why do you want to come with me? Be honest."

"If you really want me to be honest?" Geralt nodded at that and Jaskier took a deep breath. "Well, I always wanted to mean something, and being here stuck in college isn't getting me anywhere. I want to do something with my life, and it as if the only way to do that is for me to go with you and help you out. I know it probably seems funny to you, but I really need to do something."

The Witcher didn't know how to answer that. Of course things were entirely different for him and he couldn't see the world through the boy's eyes, but he understood what he was saying. He knew the feeling of wanting something but not being able to get it all too well. And that was exactly why what he did next took both of them by surprise.

"You can come with me."

"What?" asked Jaskier as though he didn't hear what Geralt said properly.

"You heard me properly."

"Oh my god, thank you so much. I promise you that you won't regret this. On the contrary, soon, you'll think of taking me with you like the best decision you've made in your life."

"I sure hope so."

"No, I assure you that I won't bother you while we're traveling. I'm not the type of person to do that. Well, not if I try. And I promise you that you'll find a good use for me when it actually comes down to it. I can do tons of research about everything, no matter the subject."

Geralt could see that the boy was truly happy that he was finally doing something with his life and it made his heart warmer. He appreciated that he could do something to make a human happy besides slaughtering the beast that was making the human's life a living hell.

"I hope that I'm not making a mistake. And you better start moving. We leave tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, the story really takes off after this chapter.
> 
> thanks for reading!!! please consider sharing your thoughts by leaving a comment and kudos!!!


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